Mark Strahl, Member of Parliament, Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon (on behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), today announced an investment of $19 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art Royal Canadian Mounted Police indoor firing range in Chilliwack. He was joined by Assistant Commissioner, Wayne Rideout, Acting Commanding Officer, "E" Division, RCMP; Ken Popove, Acting Mayor, City of Chilliwack; and Brian Coombes, President, Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation (CEPCO).

The firing range will be constructed in the Canada Education Park and will replace the current outdoor firing range. Construction is expected to begin in June/July 2014 and be complete by December 2015. The facility will be used by both the RCMP and the CBSA - a partnership that will enable both organizations to provide their officers with cost-effective firearms training in a state-of-the-art facility.

Quick Facts

The Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation (CEPCO) will manage the construction of the firing range.

The RCMP will lease the facility from CEPCO for five years and then purchase it, for a total final cost of $19 million.

The firing range will have the capacity to train up to 32 officers at one time, over a distance of 50 metres.

The existing outdoor firing range will be decommissioned before the lease expires at the end of March 2016.

Firearms and use-of-force training are vital components of the training that both RCMP police officers and CBSA border services officers receive. Effective training helps ensure the safety and security of Canadians and officers, and also helps reduce the potential for harm to offenders.

Quotes

"Our Government is very pleased to be further contributing to the economic vitality of the City of Chilliwack, through the construction of a state-of-the-art RCMP indoor firing range. This facility will greatly enhance the training of RCMP officers in the use of tactical weapons and, for optimum use of the facility, it will also be shared with the Canada Border Services Agency for training border services officers. This investment will enable these agencies to better ensure the safety of Canadians."

- Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

"Construction of a new RCMP firing range is an important investment into the City of Chilliwack's economy that will have positive impacts for many years to come. I am very pleased that our Government continues to make the safety and security of Canadians a priority. This investment into our region will make a significant difference for our local economy."

- Mark Strahl, MP (Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon)

"This indoor firing range will ensure that we train police officers in a state-of-the art facility. As all police forces are to undergo annual firearms training and fulfill updated recertification requirements, the range will be an asset to the law enforcement community."

- Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, Commanding Officer, BC RCMP

"We are pleased to see this long term project come to fruition in the City of Chilliwack. CEPCO has done a phenomenal job developing the Canada Education Park, and continues to work for the overall good of Chilliwack."

- Ken Popove, Acting Mayor, City of Chilliwack

"CEPCO is pleased to have played a role alongside our partners at the City of Chilliwack in bringing this new state-of-the-art firing range to Canada Education Park. We look forward to serving as project manager on the construction of this very exciting addition to our community."